State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali has said direct Biman flights on Dhaka-New York route would resume by the end of this year.
“The process is underway to upgrade the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to category-1. There is a plan to operate Biman flights on Dhaka-New York route after upgradation of the CAAB to category-1 by the end of this year,” he said.
The junior minister gave the information replying to a tabled question from treasury bench lawmaker Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury in the parliament, reports BSS.
Resumption of direct flights on Dhaka-New York route requires the Category 1 rating by US Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Category 1 rating by FAA means that civil aviation authority of country complies with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. Presently, Bangladesh has Category 2 rating.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines used to operate flights on Dhaka-New York route till 2006.
Later, many attempts by to resume Biman flights on the route were unsuccessful due to CAAB's failure in attaining of Category 1 status from FAA.
